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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28914576">Magic Words</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/CraftyDemonite/pseuds/CraftyDemonite'>CraftyDemonite</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Delivery Caribou, Original Work</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Caribou, Centaur, Disabled Character, Domestic Fluff, Established Relationship, F/M, Family, Lovey Dovey, Reindeer, Slice of Life, Taur</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-01-22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-01-22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 11:56:07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>750</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28914576</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/CraftyDemonite/pseuds/CraftyDemonite</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>In which Blitzen thinks he's particularly sneaky and particularly funny.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Gala/Blitzen, Original Female Character/Original Male Character</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Delivery Caribou</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Magic Words</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This work contains caribou-taurs. Gala is an albino and also blind.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Blitzen thinks he’s sneaky.</p><p>He thinks she won’t notice how his repertoire of home cooked meals has been steadily increasing in number and complexity. He thinks she won’t notice him scooping out the tastiest, most perfectly cooked bits from a stew into her bowl. He thinks she won’t notice that he’s cleaned the bathroom, dusted the den, and fed and burped little Donner while she had laid down for a bit to rest her eyes. He thinks she won’t notice how, whenever he’s out on deliveries and she’s out shopping, they always manage to bump into each other right around lunchtime and maybe they should go get a bite to eat, I know a place.</p><p>Gala does notice, of course. She doesn’t need good eyes to see his efforts and admire how fruitful they are. He appreciates her compliments and praise for all he does and returns them to her in the form of hugs and kisses, but mostly he prefers to be quiet and sneaky about folding and putting away the clean laundry or swooping over to collect Donner in his arms whenever their calf grows fussy and needs to be put down for a nap. A ‘homemaker’s pride’ as the neighbors would say.</p><p>But Blitzen also thinks he’s funny.</p><p>He thinks it’s funny how easily he sways those same neighbors’ opinions by braiding her hair into crowns, lattices, side buns, and any style sure to be beautiful and make his wonderful wife the talk of the town, but in a good way this time without the hushed whispers of omens and bad luck. He thinks it’s funny to duck behind the sand stove or hide behind the one of the big cushions whenever he’s playing peek-a-boo with their son, turning little Donner’s burbles of concern into squeals of delight whenever his father pops back into view. He thinks it’s funny for him to build a dozen little snow-golems all dressed and lined up outside the front door like a formal procession meant to wish them goodbyes when they leave for the day and welcome them home when they return.</p><p>And he thinks it’s funny when he purposefully places himself in front of the big utensil drawer that Gala quite honestly needs to get into. She knows he’s there and she knows that he knows that she knows, but still she plays along and reaches her hand out until her palm finds his toned middle and Donner’s warm flank nestled in the baby sling wrapped around his front instead of the drawer handle she was searching for.</p><p>“Pardon me, dear,” she says softly, “I need the mixing spoon, if you wouldn’t mind.”</p><p>He doesn’t move, because, again, he thinks he’s funny. “What’s the magic word?” he sing-songs teasingly and it’s impossible for her to frown or to gently correct him when she can hear the smile on his face curling his words into something playful. Instead, she hums to herself a little in thought.</p><p>“Please” comes to mind, of course, but it seems too banal. Too easy. “I love you” was as warm and as gentle as the embrace of a woolen blanket on a cold day and he was more than deserving of hearing it as many times as possible as often as possible. Then there was his name – his precious name – tumbling from her lips in imploring murmurs until he caved and allowed her to brush his fur or massage an aching joint that had been bothering him.</p><p>And there were ‘magic words’ that weren’t words at all. Those things she could say with just her hands clumsily finding and cradling his chin. Her thumbs brushing across his cheekbones as they grew flushed and warm. The soft press of her fingertips as she guided him down, down, down until she could feel his moist breath against her lips and then –</p><p>“The pot of milk on the sand stove is burning,” she tells him.</p><p>Blitzen jolts from her grasp and clatters past her to the stove in a panic, little Donner gurgling in surprise at the sudden movement. And Gala laughs and retrieves the mixing spoon from the drawer, returning to his side and calmly assuring him over his fervent apologies that the pot could indeed be salvaged with enough soap and elbow grease and they had plenty of goat’s milk in the ice box for her to start over again.</p><p>After all, she could be just as sneaky, just as funny as her lovely, lovely husband.</p><p>----------------------</p><p>Fin.</p>
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